Wearable systems can integrate various elements, such as miniaturized computers, input devices, sensors, image displays, wireless communication devices, and image and audio processors, into a device that can be worn by a user. Such systems can provide a mobile and lightweight solution to communicating, computing, and interacting with a user's environment. With the advance of technologies associated with wearable systems and miniaturized optical elements, it has become possible to consider wearable compact optical display systems that augment the user's experience of a real-world environment.
In one example, by placing an image display element or component close to the user's eye(s), an artificial or virtual computer-generated image can be displayed over the user's view of the real-world environment. One or more such image display elements can be incorporated into optical display systems and referred to generally as near-eye displays, head-mounted displays (HMDs), or heads-up displays (HUDs). Depending upon the size of the display element and the distance to the user's eye, the artificial image may fill or nearly fill the user's field of view.
A wearable computing device may include sensors for sensing any of a number of physical, environmental, or operational elements. A processor of the wearable computing device may be configured to perform actions in response to the signals provided by the sensors. For example, a tactile sensor on a wearable computing device may be used to detect inputs from a user of the wearable computing device. An accelerometer may detect motion of the wearable computing device and provide information to the user.